


When I Rest (It’s Not On Purpose)

by SuperSilverSpy



Series: Dick "Whumptober" Grayson [7]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alfred Pennyworth Deserves a Raise, Alfred Pennyworth Keeps the Family Together, Alfred Pennyworth is a Saint, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Angst, Awesome Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson Has too Much Responsibility, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Dick Grayson is Overworked, Dicktober, Gen, Good Grandparent Alfred Pennyworth, Hurt/Comfort, Jason Todd Swears, Prompt Fill, SilverGrayson, SuperSilverSpy, Whumptober, for most of my fics, ish, that’s why it’s rated T again, theres no other reason
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:21:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27201043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperSilverSpy/pseuds/SuperSilverSpy
Summary: Broken bones, bullet grazes, bruise after bruise enveloping his skin. He continues on. Drug cartels and homicides, crime he needs to stop. Everywhere, every night without a single break.He puts up a facade when family stops by, smiling and laughing, joking through it all. It’s easy, too, for a family of detectives they sure can be clueless, but then Dick always has been a great performer. He doesn’t spend a ridiculously large amount of his salary on make-up for nothing.OR Dick overworks himself and the batfam find outEmotional constipation caused failures ensue
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Everyone, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Tim Drake, Dick Grayson & batbros
Series: Dick "Whumptober" Grayson [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939666
Comments: 8
Kudos: 217





	When I Rest (It’s Not On Purpose)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Myh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myh/gifts).



> Prompt:  
> “could you write smthn about dick overworking himself (yknow like having a job, protecting bludhaven and shit) and after a few weeks the bat can find out and try to get him to rest but cause they be emotionally repressed at the end Alfred has to get dick to rest??”

Training Titans, working the morning shift, the afternoon shift, patrol. Back to back, with killers on the loose, Dick gets no sleep for thirty hours. Less than four hours to sleep before he wakes from a nightmare. Rinse and repeat, it goes on. 

Batfamily members drop in occasionally, asking for his help. He rats out several corrupt coworkers, and they’re out for his blood now. If Dick was Nightwing to them, he’d say ‘join the line’. 

Broken bones, bullet grazes, bruise after bruise enveloping his skin. He continues on. Drug cartels and homicides, crime he needs to stop. Everywhere, every night without a single break.

He puts up a facade when family stops by, smiling and laughing, joking through it all. It’s easy, too, for a family of detectives they sure can be clueless, but then Dick always has been a great performer. He doesn’t spend a ridiculously large amount of his salary on make-up for nothing.

When they leave he sits and stares, deflating without energy. They stay busy in Gotham, and he continues to wear himself out in Blüdhaven. The drop -ins stop, and he sinks. More work is demanded of him at the precinct, and he falls. A bullet flies true, the one shot in a million, and he hits the ground.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Jason was just passing through when he heard it, the gunshot, a familiar cry of pain, and the thud of a body hitting the ground. Big Bird is unconscious and bleeding out when he finds him. Lugging the man all the way back to his safe house. Hood fixes him up, and waits.

“You look like sh**,” he says when Dick wakes, and it’s true. There was nothing covering the elder’s face now. The dark shadows under his eyes and unhealthy pallor were blatantly obvious, as was the exhaustion dulling those normally vibrant orbs. 

“Thanks.”

“It wasn’t a compliment,” Jason says back, just as deadpan.

“I know.”

The black and blue vigilante looks defeated, tired, _worn_. Hood has little sympathy.

“Planning on working yourself to death Goldie? You better be careful, I won’t always be around to save your a**.”

“You’re one to talk.”

Jason tells himself he doesn’t care and goes on with life. Whatever’s wrong with Dick isn’t completely fatal, so why should it be his problem?

  
  


* * *

  
  


“Your performance in the field today wasn’t as it should be,” Bruce says, hoping for an answer to the unspoken question.

“I’m sorry.”

It doesn’t come.

“Whatever the source, don’t allow it to endanger everyone else by making you a liability. Fix the problem.” He means what he says, with more emotion and concern than he usually deigns to show.

“Yeah B, got it. Won’t happen again.”

It did though, and Batman took notice. However, all his observations were for nought because he didn’t know what to do with them. He was sure a certain faithful butler already knew, and his eldest would be closely monitored, but that was it.

  
  


* * *

  
  


“You’re doing it again,” Tim says hesitantly, observing.

“So?”

Dick doesn’t seem to care.

“It’s not healthy, you should—”

“You do it all the time, and plus, I’ve got it handled,”

And hasn’t he heard that one a million times, from everyone’s lips including his own.

“Could you at least take a break? Just promise me you’ll try to get more sleep tonight.” The big bro himself has used this one before.

“Don’t worry about me Timmy, I’ll be fine.”

Dick wasn’t fine, but life was chaotic and Tim got distracted, lost in his work. The man was the first anyway, he’d been doing this for years. Their lives were balancing acts that had highs and lows after all, his brother was probably just having one of those lows.

  
  


* * *

  
  


One night as they patrolled.

“Nightwing, there is no need for you to pretend for me. I can see through your failed attempts.” He can, and it hurts to know Grayson even tried to hide.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Tt, imbecile, of course you do,” he says, “you’re distracted, and I know your proficiency in combat, tonight’s demonstration was not up to par.”

“Yeah, you got me Little D,” he says, “I’m just a little tired, that’s all.”

It’s a half truth at best, and Robin pries further, “There’s more than that.”

Richard’s shoulders slump, and the man looks, for once, like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. It is not a good look, and Damian doesn’t ever want to see it again.

“Just work stuff, nothing to trouble yourself with Robin, I can deal.”

“Tt, you are not alone in your struggles, Batman, inform me if my assistance is needed,” the slip up feels as right to him as it is technically inaccurate.

“You know I’ll always need you, and don’t worry, I’ll ask if I need it.”

He won’t, but this time Damian chooses to believe otherwise.

  
  


* * *

  
  


“Master Dick, won’t you stay the night?”

“I’m sorry Alfred, I have to go. Work to do and all,” he’s already halfway out the door. One more step and—

“It has come to my attention that Master Timothy hasn’t been sleeping well.”

Dick loiters, part of him wants to stay _so badly_ , even as everything else screams about responsibility.

“Please stay, we all miss you dreadfully and it would surely make Master Damian’s day, he refuses to open up to anyone,” the _but you_ goes unsaid.

He sighs, deciding that family matters more and “I’ll stay a few more hours, but then I really need to go .”

Dick talks to B, listens to Dami, and works with Tim. The clock ticks on. He pretends for his family, hides the fatigue weighing him down, and only the eldest of them all notices the passage of time. Then movie night is suggested. No one dissents. A film is actually chosen (with minimal fighting) and popcorn is made. A certain bat’s drink may or may not be specifically tailored to ease one into sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Well they were emotionally repressed the whole time :/  
> Alfred did get Dick to rest in the end (the prompt didn’t say how)  
> It could’ve be better  
> Don’t worry though,  
> The next and probably last fic of Whumptober with me will be longer  
> I’m sad it’s coming to an end :(  
> You can still stay with me for the sequels, and my other fics  
> As well as the many future works I’m planning  
> Update times will be discussed in the next fic’s AN  
> Big thanks to my asterous beta teeelsie as usual,  
> And please remember to comment, I love it when you do
> 
> Stay whelmed!  
> -Silver


End file.
